It was by sheer coincidence when Dr. Jill Bazelon and Bridges to Wealth, a nonprofit that empowers disadvantaged communities in Philadelphia through vital business literacy knowledge and financial life skills, applied for a Social Justice Grant from the Eagles to enhance the organization's virtual programs.
This was in the fall of 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic took grip of the entire world.
"When everything went virtual, we were in a much better position than we would have been," she said.
A Philadelphia native and lifelong Eagles fan, Bazelon taught elementary school for five years in the Bronx and in South Central Los Angeles before returning home. In 2012, Bazelon and Dr. Keith Weigelt, a professor at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, founded Bridges to Wealth to combat the ever-increasing gap due to a lack of financial education, services, and opportunities. And, unfortunately, there are plenty of numbers to back this up.
• The median wealth of white households is 13 times higher compared to Black households.
• Fewer than 7 percent of minority households invest in the stock market in non-retirement accounts.
• Fewer than 10 percent of U.S. high school students receive financial education in school.
• Half of U.S. states fail to provide required financial education in schools.
"Economic disparities are closely related with health disparities and we've seen that so much during COVID looking at Black and Brown underserved communities being the ones hit the hardest," Bazelon said. "Poverty is the underlying root cause."
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Learn how Bridges to Wealth is making a difference in the community - PhiladelphiaEagles.com
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